anytype-docs-collaborate-chats.md
For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.
A Chat is a real-time conversation thread inside a Channel. Unlike messages in a separate app, Chats live alongside your notes, tasks, and documents — discussions stay private, encrypted, and contextually linked to the work they're about.
Chats give you the rhythm of a messaging app — quick replies, reactions, file shares — but with a twist: every message can reference, create, or open Anytype Objects. A typed thought becomes a Page; a screenshot becomes a File Object; a question can be answered with an Object link that opens in a click.
Just like documents and files, Chats are Objects that have their own dedicated Type. This means that a Chat:
Lives in the Types section of the Sidebar under 'Chat'.
Can have its own Properties.
Can be organized into Views, Queries, and Collections.
Can be added as a Widget to the Sidebar.
Can be @-mentioned or linked like any other Object.
Chat is a system Type, so it doesn't support custom Templates or layout changes. But everything else about Chat behaves like a regular Object Type.
In the Channel Sidebar header, click on the create dropdown.
Select Chat from the list of Types.
Give the Chat a name.
Set a Chat as the home page for Channels where conversations take the forefront.
A single Channel can hold multiple Chats. You can start topic-specific conversations right where the work happens and keep them organized by using Views.
Navigate to Chats in the Types section in the Sidebar.
Create a new Chat.
Add your desired Properties.
Set your preferred Filters and Sorts.
Set your desired Layout.
Use multiple Chats for large Channels. A single team Channel can have multiple Chats. Mute the noisy ones, leave Mentions-only on others.
The Chats Widget works like any other widget in your sidebar:
Pin it to keep it always visible
Adjust its appearance (compact, list, etc.)
Group your Chats into categories and use a Kanban board layout to create an organized list in your Sidebar.
The message input lives at the bottom of every Chat. You can send:
Text — typed inline, with full markdown formatting
Mentions — @ to mention a member or any Object
Attachments — drag in a file, paste an image, or share an Object using the 'plus' button.
Hover over any message and click the smiley icon to react with an emoji.
When more than one person reacts with the same emoji, you'll see a counter next to that reaction. Click the reaction to add or remove your own.
Right-click a message (or hover and click the reply icon) to reply to it specifically. Your reply quotes the original at the top — recipients see the context immediately and can click the quoted preview to jump to the original message.
The scroll-down button takes you back to the reply first, then to the bottom of the chat — so you can navigate replies without losing your place.
When you paste an Anytype Object link into the Chat message box, it automatically converts into an attachment card. This means recipients see a rich preview of the Object instead of a long URL string.
You can pin important messages in a Chat:
Right-click the message.
Choose Pin.
Pinned messages appear in a persistent banner at the top of the conversation. When multiple messages are pinned, click the banner to cycle through them from newest to oldest.
Search inside the active Chat with Cmd/Ctrl + F (or click the search icon at the top of the Chat). Results appear in a dropdown sorted by date, with navigation arrows to move through matches one by one.
For Channel-wide search across all Chats and Objects, use the global search (Cmd/Ctrl + K from anywhere).
Right-click your own message (or hover and use the three-dot menu) to:
Edit — message stays in place but is marked as edited
Copy text — copy the message content (with formatting preserved)
Delete — remove the message entirely
You can only edit or delete your own messages. Channel Owners cannot edit other members' messages.
Drag a file onto the Chat input or paste it from the clipboard. The file uploads and:
Becomes a File Object you can find later
Shows as a preview card in the chat
Is searchable through global search
For images, the message includes a preview thumbnail. Audio and video include an inline player.
A temporary Unread section appears automatically when new messages arrive in any Chat. As you catch up, the section shrinks and eventually disappears. This section also displays notifications from Discussions. Learn more in the Sidebar section.
Per-Chat notification settings let you control how loud each Chat is.
Open your desired Chat.
Click the three-dot button in the top right corner.
Select Notifications.
Choose:
Enable all — notifications for every message
Mentions only — only when you're @-mentioned
Disable all — no notifications (unread counter still updates)
These settings are per-Chat and override Channel-level defaults. See Notifications for the full picture.
When you create a Channel, you can choose Chat as the Home — meaning the first thing anyone sees when they open the Channel is the live conversation. Chat-Home Channels are great for:
Team standups and async chat
Communities and interest groups
Work where conversation is primary, with documents as supporting cast
See Channels for more details.
Choose how messages are sent in Vault Settings > Application > Preferences > Messaging.
Enter to send (Shift + Enter for a new line)
Cmd / Ctrl + Enter to send (Enter for a new line)
Chat messages support spell checking with the same red underline and suggestions as the editor. It uses your existing language settings — no extra setup needed. Configure spellcheck languages in Vault Settings > Application > Language & Region.
For one-on-one conversations with others, use Direct Channels — private chats between two people, with no admin or hierarchy. See Direct Channels for more information.
You cannot export a chat from a Channel. Chat messages are tied to the individual members of a space, and each member's data is secured with unique encryption keys. When you export a space and import it into a new one, that new space is created with entirely different encryption keys and members.
As a result, chat objects and messages cannot be exported — they are inherently bound to the space in which they were created.
Drop Objects into Chat to share work in progress — Note, Task, Page, even another Chat. The Object becomes a clickable attachment card. Recipients can open and edit immediately.
Pin the welcome message. When someone joins a Channel, the first thing they see is the pinned message at the top. Use this to set norms — what the Channel is for, how to engage.
For Object-specific feedback, use Discussions instead of Chat. Discussions live on the Object and stay attached forever. Chats are for cross-Object conversations and stream-of-consciousness collaboration. See Discussions.
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